Bottle capping mechanism



M. T. CURTIN El' AL BOTTLE CAPPING MECHANISM Sept. 3, 1940.

Filed March 6, 1939 LBW Patented Sept. 3, 1940 BOTTLE CAPPING MECHANISMv Marion T. Curtin, Rochester, and Lindsay HQ Browne, Pittsford, N. Y., assignors to Germ- Proof Cap, Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 6,

7 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to bottle capping mechanism and more particularly to mechanism of the character adapted to speedily and effectively iron metallic foil caps around bottle necks in a manner to cover the lips of the bottles and the rounded outer contours of the necks thereof in order to thereafter prevent contamination of any portion of the mouth of a bottle with which the milk or other liquid 1`0 comes into contact during the pouring of the milk from the bottle.

In thus capping the mouth of a milk or other bottle, itis a" primary consideration that the u foil cap be evenly and firmly pressed into contact with the lip of thebottle and around its outer contour both in order to thereafter effectively maintain the cap in position and to present a neat and Mpleasing appearance.

-Itis with the above in mind that the invention has to do further with a type of cappingmechanism in which independently rotating ironing elements operatein connection with the free ends ,of a series of revolving ironing levers, to smoothly and-evenly press or iron the foil cap around those portions of the mouth of the bottle the cap is intended to protect. 'I'his ironing of the cap is accomplished as the bottle moves lengthwise in one direction within the series of levers, and, the pressing and ironing of the cap having taken place, the bottle controls means eective to spread the levers and maintain them in spread or expanded position during the movement of the bottle in the opposite direction, to vavoid all. danger of Contact of the ironing elements with the finished or ironed cap'during such receding or retracting movement of the Ibottle in order that the finished cap may not be marred or broken.

Among the objects of the invention, all aimed to bring about practical eiiiciency including speed and uniformity of operation and results, the invention provides an arrangement whereby, during the ironing operation, the several ironing levers are independently controlled by spring means regulated to promote engagement of the ironing elementswhen the bottle cap is at a tensionV or pressure just suilicient to properly press the cap into position, and at the same time compensate for any slight axial displacement or deviation of the bottle with respect to the series of capping or ironing levers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple, eicient mechanism, in which friction may be reduced toa minimum; in which the parts may be readily maintained inthe neces,-

1939, Serial No. 260,184 (Cl. 226-87) sary highly sanitary condition at all times, "and in which positive control may be exercised with respect to the capping or ironing leve-rs `to spread and hold the latter in expanded position until the bottle has lowered toa point beyond possif bility of engagement of lthe .ironingv elements therewith during its withdrawal after' the capping operation. i

With these general objects lin mind, the further and more specific objects of the invention as well as its structural details and resulting advantages may be better understood' and more thoroughly appreciated in the course of the following detailed description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying. drawing illustrating the invention and forming a part of the specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View showing the practical application of the invention with the parts in position at the start of thecapping operation. i

Figure 2` is a partial vertical sectional View showing the same parts after elevation of the bottleand ironing ofthe cap around the bottle neck has been completed. l l

Figure 3 is a similar View, parts being broken away, showingv the bottle at the limit of its upward movement into the capping mechanism, with the capping or ironing arms spread apart.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the bottle inlowered position coincident with the return of the capping levers to normal retracted position, and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Referring now to these iigures and particularly to Figure 1, Aa bottleindicated generally. at I0 is shown on a support II by means of which it is contemplated the bottle may be conveyed upon a track I2, on which the roller I3` of car- `rier II is guided. y

Thus by means of an upwardly curved portion of the conveyor track I2, the bottle Ill on its carrier I I may be elevated at the capping vstation into the mechanism provided by the present invention for the ironing of a deeply flanged metallic foil cap I4 closely around the lip and -outer curved contour ofthe bottle neck I5 The mechanism proposed by the present infrom any suitable source of power through any suitable mechanism including a driving gear I9, a portion of which is. shown in engagement with the toothed wheel I8.

. It is to be understood, however, that the upper portion of the shaft or arbor |1 may be other- Wise supported and driven by any suitable means, and that the support, a portionv of which is shown at |6, may have movement to carry the capping mechanism with it. However supported and actuated, the shaft or arbor I1 is rotated on its Vertical longitudinal axis and, as at present contemplated, forms a rotating support for the entire capping mechanism.

For the above purpose, the lower portion oi the shaft or arbor |1 is of hollow tubular form to house the upper reduced stem 20 of the depending arbor 2| constituting the capping head and preferably provided immediately below `the lower end of the shaft or arbor |1 with an annular flange 22, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The arbor 2| has an axial bore 23 extending therethrough and through its upper reduced stem 20, to house a controlling spring 24 whose upper end bears against an adjustable cap or head block 25 threaded within the upper end of stem 20. Y

Below theannularangeZZ, the lower end of the arbor or capping head 21| has a counterbore 26, in which is movable 'a controlling sleeve 21 having an upper reduced portion projecting into the lower portion of the bore 23 and forming a sloping annular shoulder at its lower' end around the sleeve and within the'counterbore 26 normally positioned below an annular series of controlling balls 28. Thesefballs are disposed'movably within radially slotted openings 29 of the wall of the mandrel 2| around itsk counterbore'26.

Through the sleeve 21 and loosely slidable therein is a plunger 39 having a head at its lower end in the form of a bottleenga'gingv disk 3| which, in the upward` movement Vof the plunger, engages the lower end of the sleeve 21, and having at its upper end above the sleeve a hard metallic head 3|', which, in the lowering movement of .the plunger, engages the upper end of the sleeve.

Normally, the plunger 3U `is maintained in its lowermost position, with its upper head 3| resting upon the upper end of the'sleeve 21 by reason of tension of Ythe spring 24 above mentioned, the lower end of this spring engaging an antifriction ball y32 resting on the plunger head 3|.

It will be noted at this point that the lower portion of the sleeve 21 has an external vertical groove 33 into which one end of an angular key 34 extends. This key isV secured to the lower end of the mandrel "or capping head 2| to thus prevent rotative movement of the sleeve with respect to the mandrel and limit downward movement of said sleeveY to the position` shown in Figure 1 where its sloping annular shoulder 3,5 is immediately below the series of, controlling balls 28.A

Also below the annular iiange 22, the mandrel or capping head 2| has aseries of. external radial ironing or capping levers 39; normally depending inthe substantially vertical positions shown 'in vFigure 1 under the control of springs 40, the

outer ends oi which are seated in sockets in the upper ends of saidlevers and thenner ends' of which are seated in the before-mentioned sockets 36 of the mandrel. l

Below their pivots 38, the series of levers 39 have at their inner faces bosses 4I opposite to and engaging the balls 28. At their lower ends 5 the levers 39 are provided with bearing pins 42 threaded or otherwise secured therein and depending therebelow for the rotatable support of tapering freely revoluble ironing elements 43 with their smaller ends facing downwardly.

It will be noted from the normal position of the partssas shown in Figure 1 that the springs 40 maintain the rotatable ironing elements in position to engage the bottle cap I4 when the bottle is elevated into the capping mechanism between the several levers 39, and these springs 40 serve during the capping operation to independently control the levers 39 so that each may independently yield in order to not only iron or spin the cap I4 closely around the external contour of the bottle neck, but to also compensate for any slight displacement or deviation of the bottle with respect to the axial plane of the group of capping levers.

In the initial vertical movement of the bottle neck I5 from the position shown in Figure 1, the ange cap I4 having been previously placed over the mouth of the bottle, the mouth'of the bottle comes into contact with the lower head or disk 3| of plunger 30 to thus press the cap and iirmly` #0 hold the same during the spinning operation. As the bottle I9 moves upwardly intoV engagement with the capping elements 43, the plunger is, of course, elevated therewith and in this move'- ment the plunger rises throughthe sleeve 21 during the capping operation as the rapidly revolving and freely rotatable capping elements 43 operate to spin and iron the flange of cap I4 snugly and smoothly around' the outside contour of the bottle neck I5. f

At `about the time the spinningoperationis completed and the ybottle neck I5 has moved above rthe horizontal plane of the capping 'elements 43, as shown in Figure 2, thev lower head or disk 3| of plunger 38 comes into contact with the i lower end of sleeve 21 and thusin the further upward movement of the bottle sleeve 21 will be elevated by pressure against its lower end so that its sloping shoulders l force the controlling 'balls 28 radially outwardly against the inner bosses 4| of levers 39 so as to throw these -levers outwardly to spread or expanded positions, against the tensions of their upper springs 49.

Thus as shown in Figure 3, illustrating' the parts at the extreme upward limit of movement of the bottle I0, the spinning of thecap I4 into position around the bottle neck has been completed and the levers 39 spread or expanded to a position where the lower capping elements 43 are beyond any possibility of further contactV with the bottle neck and the cap thereon until the bottle has lowered to a position below the capping elements.

As the bottle starts downwardly on its receding or retractile movement from the position shown in Figure 3, the plunger 30 lowers therewith, since it is pressed downwardly at all times by the spring 24. However, in this lowering movement the plunger Slides through the sleeve 21, the latter being heldin its upper position by the pressure of the spread or expanded capping levers through the balls 23, and it is not until the bottle has lowered'v tothe position shown in Figure 4 that the upper head 3| of plunger 30 engages the upper end of sleeve 21 and thus forces Il,

Uit f the latterdownwardly, permitting the balls 28 to` retract inwardly to thus allow inward swinging movements of the lower ends of the capping'levers 39. It will be noted, however, from the position of the parts in Figure 4that at this time the bottle has dropped to a point below the capping elements 43 and is thus free of any'possible engagement by these elements since the sequence of the operations, or, in other words, the movement of the parts of the capping mechanism during the lowering of the bottle,` -is controlled by the bottle itself throughv plunger 30.

As a result of the foregoing, the operation of the mechanism can be carried out at high speed and with uniformly ecient results, without the danger of marrlng the caps after they have been applied to the bottles, and, since during the capping operations the several levers are independently controlled by their springs 4D and are independently yieldable with respect to the outer contour of the bottle neck, any lateral displacement of the bottle or deviation of its vertical axis with respect to the mechanism is eiectively compensated for.

In order to protect the capping mechanism, and as a safety measure, we may utilize a generally bell-shaped guard 44 having an axial openv n ing at its smaller upper end to receive the upper reduced portion or stem 26 of the mandrel, and

to seat effectively on the annular flange 22. This bell-shaped guard has a downwardly flaring body or skirt portion surrounding the several capping leversand in such spaced relation thereto as to permit of the free operation of the parts according to the foregoing explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. ,In a bottle capping mechanism, a rotating, vertically disposed mandrel having an axial bore therein and a counterbore at the lower end thereof provided with radial openings through the wall thereof, a controlling tube movable in the counterbore and externally of the lower end of the mandrel, having a reduced upper portion slidable in the mandrel bore and forming an annular shoulder facing upwardly upon the exterior of the tube intermediate its ends, means preventing independent rotation of said tube and limiting its downward movement, a plunger having a limited sliding movement through and relative to said controlling tube and having an upper head in the mandrel bore to engage the upper end of the tube, a spring in the mandrel bore normally holding the plunger and sleeve in lowered position, the plunger having a lower head for engagement with a lbottle cap and to also engage and elevate the controlling tube when the plunger is moved upwardly, capping levers spaced around the mandrel in generally vertical positions and pivoted intermediate their en ds to the mandrel, springs between the mandrel and the upper ends of said levers for independently pressing the lower ends of the latter inwardly around the plunger, cap ironing elements rotatably mounted on the lower ends of said levers, the capping levers having inwardly projecting bosses below their pivots, and antifriction members shiftable laterally in the radial openings of the mandrel opposite to, and engaging, said lever bosses and normally opposing the reduced upper portion of the controlling tube for outward displacement by the external shoulder of the tube when the latter is elevated whereby to swing the lower ends of the levers outwardly away from the plunger.

2. In a bottle capping mechanism, a rotating,

vertically disposed mandrel having an axial bore therein and a counterbore at the lower end thereof provided with radial openings through the wall thereof, a controlling tube movable in the counte'rbore and externally ofthe lower end of the mandrel, having a reduced upper portion slidable in the mandrel bore and forming an annular shoulder facing upwardly "upon the exterior of the tube intermediate its ends, a key secured to the mandrel and extending into a key-way in the controlling tube `for preventing independent rotation of the latter and limiting downward movement thereof, a plunger having a limited sliding movement through and relative to said controlling tube and having an upper head in the mandrel bore to .engage the upper end of the tube, a spring in the mandrel bore normally holding the plunger and sleeve in lowered position, the plunger having a lower head for engagement with a bottle cap and to also engage and elevate the controlling tube when the plunger is moved upwardly, capping levers spaced around the mandrel in generally vertical positions and pivoted intermediate their ends tothe mandrel, springs between the mandrel and the upper ends of said levers for independently pressing the lower ends of thel latter inwardly around the plunger, cap ironing elements rotatably mounted on the lower ends of said levers, the capping levers having inwardly projecting bosses below their pivots, and antifric'- tion members shiftable laterally in the radial openings of the mandrelopposite to, and -engaging, said lever bosses andnormallyopposing the reduced upper portion of the controlling tube for outward displacement by the external shoulder of the tube when the latter is elevated whereby' to swing the lower ends of the levers outwardly away from the plunger.

' 3. In a bottle cap-ping mechanism, a longitudinally bored, vertically disposed mandrel, means for rotatingA said mandrel, a series of levers in substantially vertical positions around the mandrel and pivoted intermediate their ends to said mandrel, cap ironing elements rotatable on the lower .ends of said levers, springs between the vmandrel and the upper end portions of the levers up and down movements of the plunger, and ra- I dially displaoeable anti-friction members carried by the mandrel and shiftable radially in respect thereto bythe sleeve in its upward movements for simultaneously engaging and shifting the lower portions of the levers away from the mandrel.

4. In -a bottle capping mechanism, a longitudinally bored, vertically disposed mandrel, means for rotating the same, a series of levers in substantial vertical positions spaced around thev mandrel and pivotally supported by the latter, pap ironing elements rotatable on the lower ends of said levers, spring means between the mandrel and portions of said levers for independently shifting the lower ends of said levers toward the axis of the mandrel during the capping operation, a plunger, the upper portion of which is shiftable axially in the lower portion of the mandrel, spring means resisting upward movement of said plunger, a sleeve at the lower end of the mandrel around a portion ofthe plunger and shiftable upwardly and downwardly by theplunger during the upward and downward movements of the latter, and anti-friction members supported by the mandrel in position between the sleeve and the capping levers and shiftable radially, outwardly in respect thereto by said sleeve in its upward movements for simultaneously shifting the lower portions of the levers outwardly away from the axis of the mandrel.

5. In a bottle capping mechanism, a vertical rotating mandrel, a spring controlled plunger movable vertically and axially within and below the lower portion of the mandrel, a series of capping levers spaced around the mandrel and pivotally connected to the latter, capping elements rotatable on the lower ends of said levers, springs carried by the mandrel and engaging said levers to independently urge said lower ends of the levers inwardly toward the plunger, means actuated by the plunger in its upward movements for shifting the said lower ends of the levers outwardly away from the plunger including a shouldered member sleeved on, and movable upwardly and downwardly by, the plunger, and antifriction members shiftable radially through the wall of the mandrel between the said shouldered sleeve member and the levers and supported by the mandrel from vertical movement relative toI the levers.

6. In a bottle capping machine, a hollow vertical rotatable support, a sleeve member'slidable in the hollow of the support at its lower end, capping levers spaced around the support in generally vertical positions and pivoted intermediate their ends thereto, cap ironing elements rotatable on the lower ends of said levers, means for rotating the supportI and its levers, spring means between the support and the upper ends of the levers `for normally independently urging the ironing elements toward one another, a plunger movable vertically through the sleeve member and having means to engage and shift said member upwardly and downwardly as the plunger nears the limits of its upward and downward movements, and means shiftable radially in respect to the support by said sleeve in its upward movements and anti-frictionally engaging the said` capping levers below their pivots for spreading their lower ends, said means being carried by the support and normally serving to limit inward movements of the ironing elements toward one another.

7. In a bottle capping machine, a hollow vertical rotatable support having radial openings through the wall thereof adjacent to its lower end, capping levers spaced around said support, in generally vertical position and pivoted intermediate their ends to the-support at pointsv above said radial openings, means for rotating the support. cap ironing elements at the lower ends of said levers, compression springs between the support and the upper 4ends of the levers, anti-friction members disposed loosely in said openings and contacting the levers below their pivots at all times, a spring tensioned and bottle-'actuated plunger operating vertically within the hollow of levers.

MARION TL CURTIN. LINDSAY I-I. BROWNE.

35 whereby to spread the lower ends of the capping 

